Love's Adventure
by PokeMaster389
Summary: Thorin Oakenshield/OC love story. Ilana Baggins has always dreamed of going on an adventure to see beyond the land of Hobbiton. One day something unexpected happens to Bilbo and Ilana Baggins and Ilana's life is changed.
1. Chapter 1

Thorin Oakenshield/OC Love Story

**Chapter 1**

**I do not own any of Tolkien's Characters**

The swift summer breeze rolled across my face, bringing the tall grass blades and my hair tickling me awake. Fluttering my eyes open, I see the early light of dawn rising over the hills of Hobbiton. I see little white clouds floating upwards, and I hear a recognizable whistling from my dear Bilbo. I started whistling along to see his familiar face greet me on this great morning.  
"Good morning, Ilana!" he greeted.  
"What do you mean? Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?" I replied jokingly.  
"All of them, Ilana! Oh! I almost forgot, I have your cup of tea by the kettle."  
"Thanks!" I pecked 'ole Bilbo on the cheek and went inside to fetch my tea. When I came back out, Bilbo was already halfway done with his tea, and he began to tell me about his dream last night.  
"It was completely mad, I tell you," he began to say exuberantly. "I was going on a quest, _a quest!_ in search for… a hidden treasure somewhere far away. There was this red beast that couldn't be tamed. Then it ended, and I woke up in my bed, but it just seemed so real."  
"_Real?_ What do you know about adventure?" I teased.  
"Well, it just so happens that your mother, Margret, knocked on my door pleading for safety from tax collectors in Bree because your father was in battle. She couldn't pay and they told her she had one week to pay. She knew that it was impossible, so our lives were changed by this drastic action of protection. She fled from Hobbiton and we never saw each other again."  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring back such horrible memories." I said in a small voice.  
"Horrible? Raising you was the best thing that ever happened to me!" Bilbo smiled and I leaned over and hugged him. "Let's go back inside, I've finished my tea."  
"Sounds good. So, what are you doing today?"  
"Well, I plan on gardening. Do you mind going to the market to get some food for dinner? You can surprise me."  
"Of course! I was going to go down there anyway for a new journal." I replied.  
"How many have you gone through? A million?" Bilbo joked.  
"Oh, hush it! Actually I've gone through about thirty journals…"  
"Now that's impressive, young lady!"  
I laughed and went to my room to get my bag. I think I have enough money for Bilbo's favorite meal and a brand new journal. I gave Bilbo a hug, "Good bye! See ya in a couple hours! I should be back before lunch."  
"Be safe, honey! I love you!"  
"Love you more!" I shouted and went out the door before Bilbo could say he loved me even more back.

I walked out the front door, down the familiar cobbled steps and I started walking in the direction of the market which is about a half mile. As I passed each hobbit hole, I saw some of my neighbors out gardening and I happily waved to them when I saw them smile at me. 'Wow!' I thought to myself, 'it is such a gorgeous day and everyone seems to be in a good mood!' The trees were blowing gracefully in the beautiful breeze. Once I get to the bridge, I looked over the side and saw hobbit children by the river. They are having a blast skipping rocks, laughing, and playing tag. Even the sky seemed to glow with happiness as the puffy clouds danced and the sun shimmered in laughter. I arrived at the market just when it opened, so I got my journals and groceries faster than I thought. Since I had time to spare, I sat down under a huge willow tree and started writing in my new journal.  
_ 'June 8,  
I think it is a good omen to wake up to nature as though it summoned me awake. Also, Bilbo seems to be in good spirits as well (not that he usually isn't). Hopefully the day goes on just as great as this morning and maybe I will get to go…'_  
"Hey! Give that back!" I screamed at Elijah, some bully who always makes fun of me.  
"_Why?_ Does it have secret love letters to your boyfriend? Oh wait! You don't have one. Maybe you have some other secrets I can tell the world!" Elijah taunted me.  
Knowing that I can't outrun him, I quickly stomped on his bare feet as hard as I could. He yelped and dropped my journal. I leaped for it and started to run away, but he recovered and grabbed my foot to make me trip. Before I could even see what happened next, I heard Elijah freak out and run away. I slowly looked up and saw a man in grey robes and a large pointed hat.  
"I think this is yours, Ilana Baggins." The strange man said and held out my journal. I eyed him skeptically, but slowly took my journal out of his hands.  
"Umm… Thanks, but how do you know my name, sir?" I asked nervously, not knowing how he figured out my own name.  
"Well, I happen to know the same hobbit who adopted you when you were a tiny baby. Actually, I just got done talking to Bilbo Baggins." The man answered.  
"I don't quite know your name, sir"  
"You can call me Gandalf."  
"Hmmm… Are you the wizard with the, er… awesome fireworks?" I stuttered.  
"Why of course! It was nice seeing you, Ilana, but I must be on my way. Good day!" Gandalf responded.  
"Oh! Ok! It was erm… nice seeing you as well, sir, er… I mean Gandalf." I stammered because I hardly even knew this man. I gathered my bag and groceries and headed back home. 'Oops! I forgot to thank Gandalf for getting rid of that blasted Elijah. I hope he doesn't get upset…' I thought. Thankfully, I didn't run into Elijah again, and I ended up coming home before lunchtime, just as I told Bilbo.

**Thanks for reading! Please review, it's my first story and I'm excited to hear what you have to say about it! I really appreciate all of you guys reading this, it really means a lot to me. I am going to try to upload more chapters as soon as possible. Thanks again! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**I do not own Tolkien's characters**

Before I even got to my room, Bilbo stopped and looked at me. He immediately noticed my disheveled hair, the dirt spots on my face, and my tattered dress.

"Excuse me, young lady, why is your dress dirty and why are there holes in your stockings?" Bilbo challenged.

"Well, umm… you know that one guy… Elijah… he erm…" I fumbled.

"Oh my goodness! How badly are you hurt? Oh dear! I am going to give him a serious talk! Did he take anything?" he rambled hotly.

"Bilbo! Calm down, please! I'm fine, I just tripped, but-"

"Just tripped!? It looks a lot more than that! How did you get away?" Bilbo questioned me while he was holding me at arm's length.

"Some wizard by the name of Gandalf… I guess he scared him off. I didn't see it though." I answered trying to calm him down.

"Hey! I just talked to Gandalf, he must have seen you when he left here. Well that's no matter, here, come with me and get cleaned up. I'm going to look if you're cut at all."

"Don't worry! I only tripped. The most is only a scrape."

"Well I have to tend to that scrape straight away!" he urged. I just sighed and walked to my room to get changed. I took out a clean purple dress to put on. Then I walked over by the mirror to brush the tangles out of my long, straight brown hair. After brushing, I opened my door and walked in the bathroom to find Bilbo with a wash cloth and some healing cream.

"Oh, Bilbo! You don't need to do that! I promise you that I'm okay! Just please stop worrying!" I exclaimed.

"See! This is why I don't let you go anywhere alone! You always come home with some kind of wound! Just come here and let my look at your leg, Ilana." Bilbo vented and I reluctantly sat down next to him.

"But you asked me if I could go down to the market to get food." I countered back, not giving up this easily.

"That's because it was early in the morning and I thought I could give you another chance. And look what happened! You got hurt again by that Elijah kid!" I finally gave up and let Bilbo care for my scrape that doesn't even hurt.

"Sorry, Bilbo." I looked down ashamed that I made him worry about my safety again for the millionth time.

He took a slow, deep breath and said, "It's quite alright, Ilana. I overreacted and I started venting. It isn't your fault, I hope you know that, honey." I nodded and gave him a hug once he finished cleaning my wound. "Well, it's lunch time."

Bilbo and I sat down to eat quietly. I then remembered my strange encounter with Gandalf and asked, "Wait, why did Gandalf visit you? I'm just curious." Suddenly, Bilbo dropped his fork and knife and cleared his throat loudly. I noticed that Bilbo obviously did not want to hear or answer the question.

Then he spoke up, knowing that he had to say it eventually. "Gandalf asked me if I wanted to join in on an adventure with him, but I declined." He said not looking me in the eyes. He just looked down at either his food or out the window. I tried to think of why Bilbo turned the opportunity down, and I'm sure he had a reason for it. He spoke up again still averting his gaze, "Don't be upset though! You know I don't like adventures, but I know that you do. I just want the two of us to stay out of trouble, that's what your mother would have wanted."

I understood what he had to say, but I was still a bit sad that I can't go out and have fun on an adventure. "I understand, Bilbo. Well, I'm done with lunch. I'm going to my room."

"Alright, thanks for understanding, Ilana." Bilbo said with a sad smile. He knew I was upset because my face showed it all and he knows to leave me alone when I'm upset.

When I got in my room, I sat down on the bench right in front of my window and I let my thoughts wander.

**Thanks for reading! Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter, I will try to extend my chapters. Also thank you to those who are following my story, it means a lot to me! How do you like my story so far? Feel free to ask me any questions about the story if you have any. I love getting feedback from you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**I don't own anything from The Hobbit or any of Tolkien's characters.**

"Ilana?" I heard Bilbo ask on the other side of my door.

"Come in!" I called. The door opened and Bilbo came inside to sit on my bed. He looked down and started playing with the bottom of his vest.

After some time, he cleared his throat and said, "Ilana, I don't mean to be strict when it comes to letting you do things on your own. I just want to protect you. I know you can take care of yourself, but I feel as if I don't want to let you go. I hate to see you get hurt."

What he said really made me think. I have always been shy around everyone so I never really made friends. There are some hobbits who bully me, like Elijah, and Bilbo was the only one who stood up for me since I had no one else. I think Bilbo is just sick of watching me be bullied and he wants me safe from danger. Sometimes I wish I could defend myself…

"I know, I love you." I replied. Then suddenly there was knocking from the front door.

Bilbo got up to go answer the door. "Now who could that be? Hang on, I will be right back."

I looked out the window just to see who was at the door, but it was too dark. All I saw was a shadow. I decided to stay in my room and ignore the unexpected visitor. I took out a book about fighting techniques that I bought today without Bilbo knowing because he would have NEVER let me buy such a book. I don't exactly know how to use a weapon and I never picked one up, but this book explains some interesting tips.

A little while later, I heard another knock on the door. I don't really want to see anyone and Bilbo didn't come in here again, so I suppose he's busy.

To let time go by, I cleaned my room a bit. I arranged my bookshelf in order to fit more books, I made my bed, and I put away all my clean clothes. As I just finished cleaning, the doorbell rang a third time. 'Who keeps coming in our home?' I silently wonder. I snuck out of my door to see where all of the commotion was coming from, and I saw four dwarves in the kitchen. I was able to tell that the visitors were dwarves from the adventure novels I read. 'Wow! I have never seen a dwarf before! What are they doing here?' I wonder. I accidentally bumped into a chest on the ground and two of the younger looking dwarves looked up at me. I quickly leaned back against the wall, but it was too late because they already saw me. Then they turned to each other and whispered something. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I did not like the looks they were giving me. Their lips were crooked with a slight smirk and they kept on glancing back at me.

Bilbo caught sight of me and said, "Ilana! Come here! I need you!" I got up and walked over to Bilbo while keeping my eyes lowered so I don't make eye contact with anyone. Suddenly, Bilbo pulled me aside, out of earshot with the dwarves. "I have no idea why there are dwarves in our house! And… they are eating everything I tell ya!" He whisper-shouted. "What is a hobbit to do! Oh dear!"

"Bilbo, please relax. Maybe they need somewhere to stay for the night. I'm sure they have a reason. They do look… friendly." I tried to calm him down, but he was still restless and pacing. I purposely didn't mention the two younger dwarves acting odd because Bilbo would freak out even more. Before Bilbo said anything, the doorbell rang for the fourth time.

"Oh for the love of all that is holy! How many more dwarves are coming?!" Bilbo exclaimed all flustered. I followed him to the door and when it opened, a whole pile of dwarves fell on the floor. I laughed quietly as one very large dwarf fell on the rest of the group. They all stood up groaning, but when they saw Bilbo, they all said, "At your service, Mr. Baggins!" In the background, I saw Gandalf, but he didn't seem to notice me.

Bilbo's expression made me laugh, it was all red like he was about to blow up at any given time. All the dwarves, (I think there were twelve) went straight to the pantry to set up for a huge feast. I stayed out of everyone's way and went to my room. I also snuck some food because I figured the dwarves would not leave any food untouched. When I entered my room, I sat down at my desk to read in peace.

After a good hour, the dwarves started getting really loud and crazy, which probably meant that they are definitely drunk. I just continued reading because I didn't want to interfere with drunken dwarves. I jumped out of my seat as the two younger dwarves stumbled through my door without knocking.

Then the dark haired dwarf cleared his throat dramatically, "I don't think we introduced ourselves properly yet… I'm Kili and this is my brother, Fili."

"What's a lovely lass like you doin' in a room alone?" Fili questioned with a contorted smile.

"Well, _we_ can change that. Let's have some fun, shall we?" Kili challenged. I didn't know how to react, so I backed up and unfortunately hit the wall. I had nowhere to run and Kili and Fili were closing in with evil smirks. My heartbeat started racing until the door swung open.

"Hey, lads! We need you in here, we were looking for ya!" I looked over to see a dwarf with a floppy hat and a long, dark mustache. 'That dwarf just saved me! Thank you, thank you, and thank you!'

Fili and Kili both gave me a sly smile before groaning obnoxiously and saying, "This better be good, Bofur."

They whirled around without question and left my room. I think I saw the other dwarf, Bofur, wink at me right before he shut the door soundlessly. I breathed a sigh of relief and started drawing to keep me occupied.

**Thanks again for reading! The next chapter will have a certain someone who you were waiting for! Tell me what you guys think about my story! Is it too short? I'm trying to make it longer, but it's hard for me. Do you have any suggestions to help me?**

**Thanks to all of my followers!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**I don't own The Hobbit characters or any of Tolkien's work.**

I just finished a drawing of a forest with elves when I heard singing in the dining room. I shrugged and ignored it until the dwarves all shouted, "That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!"

"Oh no… This will not end well…" I sighed and waited for them to stop singing. Then I heard laughing, so I took another peek into the dining room, but before I even stepped into the hall, I heard three loud knocks at the door.

Everyone went silent and I heard Gandalf say, "He is here."

Gandalf opened the door and another dwarf walked through the threshold. I was hiding behind my door so I wouldn't capture any attention.

"Bilbo, meet the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield." Gandalf introduced.

"So, this is the hobbit?" Thorin said in a condescending tone. "Looks more like a grocer than a burglar." I couldn't really see the new dwarf, but he sounded like he held power like a king.

Some of the dwarves laughed and snickered. I looked out a little more to see Bilbo's face all red with embarrassment while Thorin sauntered off into the dining room before I could see him. Bilbo turned to walk in the dining room and I snuck out of my room until I could hear the conversation. I thought this Thorin dwarf was being a little harsh to Bilbo, but Bilbo always said don't judge people by first impressions. I quietly listened while Thorin explained that he wants to take back Erebor and reclaim his own land. I felt bad for all the dwarves and wondered if Thorin's harshness was from the tragedy of his lost home. Wait! Thorin said that they are going on a quest! My jaw dropped in realization that Bilbo has to go with, which means that I'm going, too!

I peered out to see Bilbo reading a long contract. He was muttering something about lacerations and then he said, "Incineration?"

"Aye, it will melt the flesh off your bones. Think furnace with wings, flash of light, searing pain, then Poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash!" said a dwarf in a joking manner. I suddenly realized that the voice belonged to Bofur who got Fili and Kili out of my room. I smiled at that, but my face instantly dropped when I saw Bilbo faint.

I waited until he was brought into the living room and I followed after he sat down. None of the dwarves saw me, but Gandalf walked in a minute later.

"Ilana… you should be in bed…wait, how much did you overhear?" Bilbo said slowly.

"Umm… basically everything…sorry!" I muttered.

Gandalf chuckled and I looked at Bilbo a little embarrassed. Bilbo sighed, "It's fine, I know you eavesdrop a lot. I'm used to it by now." Gandalf cleared his throat and said, "Bilbo, I need to know if you agree to this quest. You have waited for far too long."

Bilbo got up and answered, "I'm sorry, I'm not the right hobbit for the journey, and I can't leave Ilana by herself."

Then he left the room quietly. I followed him out and went down the hallway to my room. I sat down on the edge of my bed and took a long, slow breath. I know he was just protecting me, but I really wanted to go on an adventure…

I put on my night gown and got into bed while pulling the covers up to my chin. I was about to fall asleep when I heard the dwarves humming a slow song. Curious, I snuck out of my room to hear it more clearly and I found myself entranced by the music.

"Far over the Misty Mountains cold…" All I could do was stare at Thorin as he started singing. In my mind, I imagined him old and rugged by the way he talked, but he's clearly not. With his long dark hair, bright blue eyes in contrast with his dark blue clothes and very menacing weapons set at his hip, he looked like a young, determined king. Not only did his looks stun me, but his deep baritone voice caught my attention. It was both heart wrenching and heartwarming. I have never heard a man's voice so soothing and sad at the same time.

They all finished singing and Bofur saw me and smiled sadly. I returned it and looked around the room until I came across Thorin who was staring at me. When he saw me looking at him, he narrowed his eyes and glared. I felt the heat of the stare and quickly averted my eyes while he scoffed and sharply walked in the other room without another glance.

'Did I do something wrong?' I wondered, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. I slowly walked back to my room, making no sound in the process. I lay down on my bed and curled up into a small ball to warm up faster. As I closed my eyes I thought about the song until I fell asleep.

**Thanks for reading! So, what do you guys think? This chapter was hard because I was trying to think of ways to introduce Thorin, but I'm glad with what I have here! I hope you guys enjoyed it as well. Thanks again!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**I don't own any of Tolkien's work from the Hobbit.**

I tossed and turned and struggled with my sheets. My night gown was twisted tightly around my body. I jolted upright and sprang out of bed. I needed fresh air and found myself in the kitchen.

I looked through the cabinets for a glass and turned the faucet on. A voice startled me by asking, "Having trouble sleeping?"

I spun around to greet the smiling face of Bofur drinking coffee at the table. "I was just getting a glass of water… I was thirsty." I mumbled.

"Oh, I didn't quite catch your name." He said continuing the conversation.

"Ilana, and yours is Bofur."

"Correct! Well you should get back to bed, Ilana."

"Alright, well have fun on your adventure…" I quietly turned and walked back to my room careful not to step on any of the sleeping dwarves.

The sun woke me up in the morning and I didn't hear Bilbo yet, so I went in the kitchen to make breakfast. I noticed that all the dwarves left to go on the quest.

After I just finished making breakfast, Bilbo walked in and said, "Good morning, Ilana."

"Good morning, Bilbo. I made some breakfast for you." I replied.

"Thank you very much!" He explained, "But I think I left my pipe in the other room… hang on." He got up and walked in the living room.

A few minutes later, Bilbo came out of the room with the contract in his hands. " I know I will sound crazy saying this, and I can't believe what I'm about to say… but I'm going on this adventure." A look of disappointment passed my face. "And… I'm asking you to… sneak behind." My eyes grew so big as he said this, and I grinned ear to ear.

"Yes, yes, yes! I will promise to be safe! But I don't want to sneak behind the whole time." I told him.

"Well… I guess when the time comes, or at least wait a day. I don't want to keep you here, so I want you to be very careful when you follow us."

"I will, Bilbo. I promise you." I vowed and hugged him tightly. Then I went in my room to get ready.

I put on my brown pants, long sleeve purple tunic, my lace up boots, my brown cape, and of course my mother's emerald necklace. I also took a satchel with my journal, food, and some other little necessities. I went into the kitchen to scarf down my breakfast.

"Alright, I'm ready to go." I said as I walked out of the kitchen.

"Perfect, well we should probably run together, and once we see them I want you to slow down and I will catch up."

"Gotcha! I can't wait, Bilbo!" I yelled in excitement.

"Okay, let's go!"

Bilbo and I ran across all of the Hobbiton roads dodging people as we passed. As soon as we got to the edge of a forest, we spotted the dwarves.

"Okay, this is where we split up. I want you to stay out of sight until we are too far to turn back." Bilbo whispered. He hugged me and kissed me on the forehead. "I love you, Ilana." He said as he let go of me.

"I love you, too! I will be safe, Bilbo." I said. Bilbo nodded and started running toward the dwarves. I watched him meet up with one of the dwarves in the front and soon enough, he was put on a horse. I laughed because he never liked riding ponies.

Staying off the path was very challenging to me because I was very close to the group, and I had to be even quieter. I followed the group off to the side, but towards the back where I saw Bofur. As we progressed further into the forest, all I could do was think since I couldn't speak with anyone.

My thought process started off from the day I found out about the quest, which was yesterday morning. I remember everything that happened very clearly even though it all seemed to happen so fast. While I walked alongside the dwarves, I started looking from dwarf to dwarf. I tried to memorize all the different faces, but the only names I knew were Thorin, Bofur, Fili and Kili. I couldn't quite remember which brother was Fili of Kili, and I didn't intend to find out.

After a while, some of the dwarves had conversation, and I figured out more names. Now I knew Thorin, Bofur, Fili, Kili, Dwalin, Balin, Ori, and Dori. That leaves five left, but I'm glad I know more, so I could put names to faces. I scanned the dwarves until my eyes found Bofur. He saw me look and my eyes widened in shock, but he just smiled and looked forward. I exhaled knowing he wouldn't report me to Thorin.

I couldn't help but think about the way Thorin glared at me with hate. What did I do to make him hate me? He only met me yesterday. Maybe he is just depressed about his home and I understand why he could be so negative. I hope he warms up to Bilbo and me or else this will be one tough journey.

My thoughts trailed away and when I looked up, the company stopped walking. All of the dwarves were getting off their ponies. Thorin barked orders at the dwarves and they immediately did as they were told.

"We are stopping here for the night, so make sure you're ready to go at first light." Thorin announced to everyone.

Since I had to stay out of the way, I put my sleeping bag behind a tall rock. I was extremely cold due to the lack of fire.

Once I heard the dwarves settle down in their sleeping bags, I dared to look around the rock at them. I noticed that Bofur was the closest to me and I wondered if he knew I was here. I lay back down and as soon as my head touched the ground, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

**Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**I don't own any of Tolkien's work. Also, Enjoy!**

The sky was still dark when I opened my eyes in panic. The dwarves were gone! I only heard the faint sound of wolves and some other yelling creatures. I jumped up and followed the voices, but I was careful enough not to be seen.

The voices became louder and I silently screamed. All the dwarves were surrounded by massive wolves with orcs on top. My mouth dropped when I saw Bilbo being held by an orc.

My mind started whirling as I tried to think of an escape plan. I had to do something because the dwarves were weaponless.

I finally thought of a plan and climbed up the nearest tree. I couldn't climb that high since I was so afraid of falling. Then I stood on a thick branch and looked down at the company. All of the orcs were on wolves so my plan should work perfectly.

I took a couple deep breaths to muster up courage. Then I took a really big gulp of air, turned my head in the opposite direction, cupped my hands around my mouth, and howled like a wolf.

I saw the wolves turn and run in the direction of my howl. My plan worked! I heard the orcs shout in annoyance as the wolves ran away from their victims.

When the orcs were out of sight, I slowly climbed down the tree, branch by branch. I heard footsteps coming closer and froze.

"Ilana?" Bilbo whispered. Not trusting myself to speak, I stepped around the tree so Bilbo could see me. I noticed that some dwarves followed him at a distance. As soon as one of the dwarves saw me, he whispered to the other one next to him until my presence was known throughout the whole company.

What I heard next scared me senseless. The horrifying sound of angry footfalls filled my ears. I knew I was in trouble.

I saw Thorin pushing through all the dwarves scowling. Fear built up inside me as I saw him stomping his way over. He got to Bilbo who was right in front of my and shoved him aside as if he weighed nothing. Next thing I knew, his form towered over me. Suddenly, his hand shot out and grabbed the front of my shirt, lifting me off the ground to his height. I shook from head to toe in fear.

"Why are you following us?!" He growled menacingly. His eyes burned with hatred as he looked directly at me. I had to look away as his eyes bore into my soul.

"Well… I, uh… um… I wanted to…um…" I blubbered incoherent sentences.

"Speak up!" He snarled, shaking me in the process. A whimper escaped my lips.

Bilbo cleared his throat nervously and said, "Umm… I -I told her to follow me…"

Thorin let go of me forcefully and glanced at him for a quick second before shooting me a look of disgust. "I knew you were trouble when I first saw you in that god-awful, granny night gown." He spat out harshly. I cowered in fear and embarrassment.

I felt a presence behind me and two pairs of strong arms swooped around my shoulders tightly. "We're okay with a granny night gown." Fili commented slyly.

"So long as you take it off." Kili finished in a low, husky voice. Both of them looked at me waggling their eyebrows.

Thorin glared at them, spun around on his heel and stormed back to camp. Fili and Kili dropped their arms and burst out laughing. The other dwarves joined in soon after Thorin was out of sight.

I barked up a few steps and started walking away from the brothers. Balin put his hand on my shoulder gently. "Oh, don't worry about him, lassie, he has a bad temper. Thorin is usually a pessimist, but he'll get over it soon enough." He simply smiled and said, "By the way, welcome to the Company."

**Thank you! I hope you enjoyed it! :) Did you love this chapter? I certainly did.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**I don't own any of Tolkien's work.**

After Balin welcomed me, I smiled and walked over to where Bilbo was standing. "Let's head back to camp, it's late." Bilbo said hesitantly. I simply nodded and followed him and the rest of the company back to camp.

As we walked to the sleeping bags, I avoided all eye contact by looking down. I quietly placed me blankets right next to Bilbo and settled under the covers. The only noise that I heard was the faint sound of murmuring from the dwarves. Unfortunately, I couldn't eavesdrop on the soft conversations.

I turned over to face Bilbo, who just got in his sleeping bag. "I'm sorry Thorin manhandled you in front of everyone. I did not know he would blow up at you." Bilbo apologized softly.

"It's okay. I guess I hoped for a better welcome." I whispered back. I did not tell him all my feelings though. Thorin frightened me so much that I don't think I can even face him again. The way he looked at me was the worst because no one ever glanced at me with so much hatred. Now I'm even too scared to tell Bilbo my feelings.

"I'm glad you're fine, Ilana. We should get some rest; I heard we are waking up at sunrise." Bilbo told me.

"Good night."

"Good night, Ilana." I slowly shut me eyes to fall asleep, but I heard a faraway sound somewhere in the woods.

Someone else must have heard it, too because everyone got up with their weapons at the ready. "Ilana, hide!" Bilbo exclaimed. I hurried over by the rock I was by earlier and crouched down. My heartbeat pounded hard against my chest while I saw the dwarves brace themselves for a fight. Bilbo stood in the back holding a weapon he probably borrowed.

Then a group of orcs jumped into view, but they weren't on the wolves. The dwarves and orcs clashed weapons and fought. I noticed Bilbo was backing out of the fight with a look of horror. Every dwarf was fighting together as they killed the orcs. Fili defended his brother while he used his bow and shot an orc right in the head. Thorin wielded a deadly axe and slaughtered the orcs near him with quick death blows. It was dreadfully awesome to see the dwarves killing orcs. The sight of blood made me feel sick, but I could not take my eyes off the battle.

After a couple more minutes of fighting, the orcs either died or fled once they knew they were outnumbered.

"Where's Bilbo?" Bofur asked frantically.

"I'm right here." Bilbo announced. He stepped out of a bush to reveal himself. There was a sigh of relief coming from most of the dwarves.

"What about Ilana?" Bofur questioned Bilbo. I stepped around the rock into view and everyone turned to face me. All of the dwarves were filthy with blood, sweat, and dirt. I suddenly realized that I was completely useless during the orc invasion. They risked all of their lives while I watched at a safe distance. I walked over by Bilbo while Thorin told us to go to bed.

Bilbo and I settled into our blankets. I whispered, "I fell so useless, Bilbo. I don't want to die because I can't fight. This adventure isn't turning out so well…"

"Tomorrow I will ask Thorin to teach you to fight, okay?"

"Okay, thanks." I answered hiding my fear of the thought of Thorin's reaction to Bilbo's question.

"Is something wrong, Ilana?" Bilbo asked with concern written on his face.

"No, I'm tired. That's all. Well, good night." I turned over and shut my eyes. I can't believe I lied to him. Tomorrow I will tell him how I feel.

**Thank you for reading! Have a good Christmas! Sorry I have not been updating. I will try to write more and type faster. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**I don't own any of Tolkien's work.**

Sweet rest ended forcefully and abruptly with a heavy boot kicking the air out of my lungs. My eyes shot wide from the stinging blow. I focused on a grimaced face with hard, sunken eyes. "Get up!" the dwarf loudly grumbled. I softly rolled to my back where air rushed back into my lungs. I coughed violently sitting upright, the coughing slowed to a stop and I packed my bag once more.

The sunrise was grey and pink, the air was crisp and I realized just how far I was from home and how much longer the journey ahead was going to take. I sucked in the fresh air, clearing my mind and continued with the rest of the company. Bofur trotted up next to me perturbing my thoughts, "Sorry for the rude awakening there, lassie. Dwalin doesn't fair well with those who he finds slacking." I exhaled as if I'd been holding my breath, "Yeah, I was just tired. I was just thinking about the distance we've covered and still how much we have to traverse." Bofur smiled, "Well you're in good company."

I returned his smile, "Thank you, Bofur." Although, I did not say it like I meant it and Bofur gave me a strange look. "Is something wrong, Ilana? You seem a little distant." He questioned gently.

"Um, no! I mean kind of… I don't know… um…" I mumbled, wondering whether or not to tell Bofur the truth. I decided to engage in the conversation further, knowing that I could trust him. I took a deep breath, looked around for any eavesdroppers, and turned to Bofur. "Okay, something _is_ bothering me, and I haven't told anyone, not even Bilbo." I paused and saw Bofur give me a small smile that showed his open heart. I nodded and took a deep breath before releasing my guarded feelings to Bofur. "Well, several people in this company scare me a little and I don't feel protected around them." I quickly glanced around again for any dwarves listening, but they were either way behind or in the front with Bilbo. I turned my head forward and continued, "The dwarves who I feel frightened by are Thorin, Fili, Kili, and Dwalin. What do you reckon I should do, Bofur?"

"Well, I know none of them will harm you in any way."

I stopped him before he kept talking and said, "Remember the night you came in my house? Fili and Kili were acting improperly before you walked in the door. They were probably going to hurt me." I finished and looked over at Bofur to see him smirk. For a moment, I thought he was making fun of me, but he started talking again.

"Oh! The two lads? They were drunk! I knew they weren't gonna hurt you, lassie. When they get drunk, they're all talk. They don't know when to stop drinking either. Before they were gonna do anything, they would have fallen on the ground laughing. I've seen them drunk plenty of times, Ilana. Those two are harmless!" He gave me a reassuring smile. Even though his explanation made sense, I still don't feel comfortable around Fili and Kili.

"What about that big scene when… Thorin… was furious… and Fili and Kili made a highly inappropriate comment in front of everyone?" Bofur still had a grin on his face and chuckled quietly.

"They were joking around! Did you see them burst out laughing? They have always been the dwarves to crack jokes. All they did was playfully put their arms around you, nothing else. Trust me, Ilana. I've know them all my life, I know they were showing off to their uncle and plus, you are a young lady. They don't know how to properly react so they joke around to express their feelings. It's their way of breaking the ice in front of strangers."

I started to put the pieces together like a puzzle. Bofur was definitely telling the truth, I could see it in his eyes. "Okay, I feel a little better now, Bofur. Wait… who is their uncle?"

"Thorin is their uncle." He simply stated.

"Oh! So you think I should become their friends?"

"Yes, they are great company, I assure you." He smiled and I returned one back while nodding. I definitely feel better now that I know Fili and Kili won't be a problem, but I am still a bit unsure to approach the brothers. I think I will give them a chance sometime. Maybe I am overreacting.

"What about Dwalin and… Thorin? I feel so weak around them." Images flooded back into my mind of the night where I was caught by Thorin and of the way Dwalin forced me awake. My eyes were filling with tears at the horrible memories. I fought to keep them from escaping, but my eyes were stinging from the pressure. Bofur looked at me and immediately stopped walking. Suddenly, he pulled me into a hug and squeezed his arms that were around me. I instantly hugged back and laid my head on his chest. The tears rushed out of my eyes and I realized how much I trusted Bofur. The only person I ever cried in front of was Bilbo, but here I am pouring my eyes out in front of Bofur. I only just met him a couple of days ago, but he has shown me kindness and respect. All he did was hug me while I cried, and I felt so much better letting out my feelings that were locked up since the day this adventure started.

Once I was finished crying, Bofur let go while I pulled out my handkerchief and blew my nose. Then we continued to walk along the path in silence so I could gather my thoughts. I noticed that he walked a little closer to me since I stopped crying.

Bofur cleared his throat and began to answer my question. "Ilana," he started softly, "Thorin and Dwalin will come around eventually. I know it's hard to believe, but they are great dwarves once they warm up to others. They both don't trust anyone right away and think everyone as a threat and an enemy." Bofur stopped briefly and looked ahead at the company. "It seems that we are stopping to take a quick lunch break." He turned to me and said, "You could stay by me from now on if you would like, lassie." Bofur smiled hopefully.

"That would be perfect, Bofur. Thanks!" I told him excitedly. His smile made me so happy that I could not decline his offer. I also kept in mind what he said about Thorin and Dwalin.

When we arrived at the campsite, the dwarves were already working on cooking the food. I spotted Bilbo sitting on a log and strolled over to join him. I sat next to Bilbo and Bofur sat next to me waiting for food. Bilbo grinned at Bofur and waved, "Thanks for looking after, Ilana. I appreciate it, Bofur."

"No problem, Bilbo! She is great company to be around." Bofur beamed and nudged me. I giggled at his cheerfulness and how good natured he is in front of Bilbo.

Bilbo leaned in to me and said, "I'm going to ask Thorin to teach you to fight as soon as we're done eating." He seemed nervous as he told me this and I only nodded and looked down. This is not going to end well at all, I just now it. I finally looked up to glance around the campsite. There were only a couple dwarves who I did not know because I didn't have time to remember their names when I was following the group behind. So I turned to Bofur and asked, "Can you tell me each of the dwarves' names? I can't quite recognize all of them."

"Sure! Well, I know you know Fili and Kili sitting against the rock over there, and Dwalin is by the fire sharpening his weapons. Bombur is cooking the food, the two putting wood in the fire are Oin and Gloin. Oin is the grey haired one. Dori, Nori, and Bifur are tying up the horses on the left. Bifur has the axe in his head and Dori has the short grey hair. Ori is sitting down writing in his book, and Balin is standing over there out of earshot talking with Thorin." Bofur finished proudly.

"Wow, well I think I will remember their names from now on." I laughed and Bofur joined in seconds later. My eyes wandered over to Ori, and I realized that I haven't written in my journal for a couple days. He seemed like a quiet dwarf compared to the rest of the company and I was just about to tell Bofur that I was going to talk to him when I was handed a bowl of stew. I guess I will have to wait to talk to Ori because apparently Bilbo is going to tell Thorin to teach me how to fight.

**Here is another chapter to my story! I hope you all liked it! This chapter took a long time to write. It was more of a filler chapter and to get to know Ilana more. Sorry there was not really any Thorin interaction in this chapter. Trust me, more will happen in the next chapter. :) Thanks to all of my followers! You encourage me to write more!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**I don't own any of Tolkien's work.**

After consuming all of my soup, I set my bowl down to walk over by the stream nearby. When I was right in front of the water, I kneeled down to wash my hands. I saw my reflection in the stream and my eyes widened in horror. My hair was tangled, my face was dirty, and my clothes were stained. I looked like I crawled out of a grave. Luckily, I brought a brush in my satchel, so I pulled it out and combed it gingerly through my hair. The process took a while, and once I finished, I braided my hair to avoid it becoming too terribly tangled again. I scrubbed my face to get the dirt off and peered into the water to see my reflection looking much better than before.

My eyes focused on a shiny object glinting on my chest. I gasped and put my hand around my mother's necklace. I can't believe I forgot that I was wearing the emerald necklace. My mind was so cluttered, I forgot about the necklace, my journal, and my hygiene, even though I smelled way better than the dwarves.

The familiar feel of the necklace lifted my spirits. I remembered the time when Bilbo gave me the necklace. He told me my mother wanted me to have it, and I have never taken it off since. It is a very simple necklace with a tiny emerald stone, yet I think it is the most beautiful necklace I've laid eyes upon.

The sound of voices from the campsite brought me back to my senses and I walked back to camp to see the dwarves putting out the fire. I guess I'm not learning to fight today.

"Pack up the ponies. I want to leave in less than ten minutes." Thorin's baritone voice covered up the dwarves' conversations and they immediately obeyed his command.

"Not so fast, Thorin Oakenshield." Thorin turned around and scowled. I noticed Gandalf leaning on his staff and looking down at Thorin. "We must stay here until morning."

"And why is that?" Thorin glared at Gandalf, but Gandalf remained completely calm.

"The roads are treacherous ahead and I feel a horrible storm coming. We will remain here, where it is safe, until the storm passes."

Thorin started to turn red with rage. He clenched his fists and growled, "I'm the leader of this company. I make the choices."

"I'm trying to keep you safe, Thorin." And with that, Gandalf walked away to sit down and to pull out his pipe.

I noticed Thorin stiffen and clench his jaw. Anyone within several feet of Thorin would have burned under his fiery gaze. It looked as if he could start steaming and blow up at the pressure. His eyes were on Gandalf the whole time and he never even blinked. I thought his eyes could have murdered Gandalf right on the spot, but Gandalf only hummed and closed his eyes completely ignoring Thorin. This made Thorin shake with anger because no one should ever ignore him. He is the king! He couldn't handle Gandalf any longer, so he stormed off to cool down, if that was even possible. His angry footsteps were molded into the earth as he left.

I exhaled, unaware that I was holding my breath during the conflict. I didn't dare to move until Thorin was out of sight. Once he was gone, I looked around at the dwarves and noticed them unpacking their supplies. Ori sat down on a log and pulled out his journal. My heart jolted at the thought of talking to him about reading and writing stories. I walked over to Ori and sat next to him to get his attention, but in my timid nature, I didn't know how to start conversation.

Ori turned to me and smiled, "Hello, miss. How are you this fine morning?"

"I'm good. Thanks for asking." I shifted in my seat. "Um… I couldn't help but notice that you were writing in a journal… Do you enjoy books?" I looked up at him and saw his eyes sparkle with delight. He had such an innocent, friendly face and he wore knitted sweaters instead of leather, thick cloth, or furs. His freckles jumped from the flash of his smile.

"I love books! My dear mother could never pry my hands away from my books. I spent a lot of time in the library growing up and I can't imagine life without books."

I started to get giddy with excitement over the talk of books and I didn't feel nervous anymore. "Bilbo used to read to me before I fell asleep and I would will myself to keep my eyes open so he could read longer. Every day I walked to the library to read when Bilbo gardened. What kind of books do you like?"

"I love the adventure books, but I also like history novels, too. I'm currently writing about our adventure now, and hopefully it will be published."

"I can't wait until you are finished!" I smiled and pointed to a book sitting in his bag. It caught my attention with its green velvet cover and gold trim. "What book is that?"

"Oh! It's a book about sword fighting. I found it very interesting." Ori pulled it out to show me the front cover.

"I wish I knew how to sword fight." I mumbled under my breath, but Ori heard me.

"Really? You want to learn how to fight?" He gave me a surprised look and out of the corner of my eye, Balin stood up to walk over in Thorin's direction. "I don't think it's a great idea, miss. It's dangerous."

"Well, I want to know how to defend myself when the time comes; it's inevitable and I can't cower away whilst you all fight for me- it's not fair." I nervously played with the ends of my sleeves.

Ori noticed my discomfort and put his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sure you won't ever need to use a sword. We will protect you whenever there is a fight." I reluctantly nodded and saw Balin come back to sit down. Seconds later, Thorin returned still indignant. He stopped in the middle of camp looking around until his eyes found mine. I shrunk with fear as his blue eyes pierced through me. I didn't break eye contact because I wanted to stay strong in front of the company.

I almost looked down, but Thorin shouted, "Fili!" He finally tore his gaze away from me to look at his nephew. Fili looked up at Thorin without hesitation. "Why don't you show this silly girl how to fight?" Thorin came closer to me, grabbed my arm and yanked me off the log while shoving a sword into my hand. I nearly dropped the sword due to its density. "If you want to fight, then let's see how long you last fighting Fili." Thorin growled and walked over to stand next to Dwalin.

Fili stood up, pulled out a sword, and gave me a reassuring look. I understood that he meant no harm, but I still shook in fear. I had to hold the sword with two hands and I could hardly lift it past my waist. We stood in anticipation of the fight. All eyes darted between Fili and me. Ori held sympathy in his eyes. I gulped, some dwarves made bets- or at least predictions. The air was heavy; breaths held in, I glanced at Bilbo, who comforted me with a gaze. The silence broke.

"What are you waiting for?! Isn't this what you asked?! Fight!" Thorin yelled and crossed his arms tightly over his chest. I felt a bead of sweat roll down my back. Fili lifted his sword with grace and ease. I had an obvious struggle… and disadvantage. Once we began sparring, Fili showed his dexterity and skill with the blade. He yelled out tips for defending blows. We staggered apart as he tried to explain better. "It's more like a flick of the wrist, not a hammering-"

"I'll show her how it's done." Thorin sounded. I tried to cover my fear, but I'm sure he could smell it like a warg scout. Thorin lifted his sword, demonstrating the flicking action Fili described, and then calmly asked me to try. Slightly taken aback, I did as I was told, then before I could say Rhosgobel Rabbits, Thorin lunged toward me, and I defended his attack with my newly acquired skill. The swords clashed and in resistance they quivered. Our eyes held steady as we held the two blades against each other. My eyes surely were wide because of the surprise, but I was not afraid. His arctic oceans held sorrow, lost honor, and fearlessness. I wished to examine his beauty longer, but he eased out of combat. "Very well. Fili, you will train with her nightly." He ordered, never taking his eyes off me. Thorin turned to hand Fili the sword and sauntered off.

The company was quiet until Thorin went into seclusion. Fili smiled, "Not bad. You've got a natural knack; no worries, you'll be a legendary swordswoman when we're done." I returned the smile and looked back at Bilbo, Ori, and Bofur with pride. I started toward Fili to return his sword, when I was shoved into him by the ungraceful Bombur. I tried to regain my ground, but I landed on top of Fili. "So that's how you want to fight?" I embarrassedly giggled as the company lost their wits. I glanced at a few other dwarves and turned back at a smirking Fili. I got up and brushed some dirt off my tunic and I went to go share my excitement with Bofur.

"That was amazing!" Bofur encouraged me and as I hugged him, I squealed. He got up laughing and began to sing.

"Oh… the hills are far away,

Beyond the murky forest.

Tolls and spiders roam

In parts we call the poorest."

Everyone joined in singing with happy hearts and dancing with merriment. I smiled and clapped along, amused with their delight.

"The lute and harp are noise,

And battle cries our joys.

Beyond the crowns of tree

Are our worst enemy."

Thorin smirked and joined in dancing. I saw Dori and Bifur play a handmade drum and Bofur played along with his flute as the song progressed. Ori came up to me twiddling his thumbs and asked, "Excuse me, but would you mind this dance?"

Before I could respond, Fili interrupted by grabbing my arm and twirling me. We danced and I was tossed between Fili and Kili.

"Riches to rags we roam,

My armor is of gold.

Lost is not my home,

The tale is being told."

Filled with such merriment, I was skirted off at Thorin. His gaze was not as severe as before because of the renewed hope of reclaiming his home. As any gentleman would, he joined my hand and we danced with fluidity. I saw the gentle shock on Fili's face when Thorin and I started dancing. Thorin and I exchanged an awkward glance and he inquired, "So, why did you want to fight?"

I thought quickly and answered, "I didn't want to burden the company with the inability to fight." My heart raced and I hoped that he couldn't feel my hands tremble.

"I see. Fili is an excellent fighter, he will train you well." I only nodded, trying to think of something to say, but my options were limited.

Next thing I knew, I was pulled away from Thorin and back between the other dancing dwarves. I laughed and relief filled me since I didn't know what to say to Thorin. My hands trembled and my heart still hammered from the encounter with the dwarf king, so I hurried over by the log to calm down.

The dancing slowed to a stop and the music ended soon after. Everyone cheered and Bofur trotted over to sit next to me.

"I noticed you were enjoying yourself out there. I'm glad you're warming up to the company, Ilana."

I smiled, "And I'm glad to call you my friend, Bofur. You were able to put everyone in a good mood from your song. That's why I enjoy your company."

"Aww. You are the sweetest girl I have ever met." With that he pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.

"Even Thorin was in a good mood which was unexpected." I told Bofur.

"I know the secrets to lightening up his mood. Just start singing and dancing! Problem solved!" We both smiled and realized that the moon arrived in the sky.

I unpacked my sleeping bag and set it next to Bofur. Everyone else claimed their spots, exhausted from the day's events. I settled into my blankets and closed my eyes, but every time I shut them, images of the orcs embedded into my mind. The horrid stench of the orcs filled my nose while they swung rusty swords. The orcs' harsh cries echoed in my mind. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead as I tried to force the thoughts out of my head. I turned in Bofur's direction feeling hopeless.

"Bofur? I can't sleep… The orc battle keeps replaying when I try to fall asleep."

He took my hand and softly sang me to sleep. I remembered when Bilbo used to sing to me at night when I was a child.

"Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old.

We must away, ere break of day,

To find our long-forgotten gold."

I heard movement on my right, so I turned my head and saw Fili and Kili. They put their sleeping bags down without a word and went to sleep.

I slowly shut my eyes as Bofur sang and let sleep take over my tired soul.

**Thank you for reading! I am going to try to update weekly, so be on the lookout for that. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I thank all of my followers because you motivate me to keep going with the story and I want to make each chapter perfect for reading. Thanks again! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**I don't own any of Tolkien's work.**

Darkness surrounded me. Harsh cries broke the silence. I ran, but I could not see where I was going. The screams increased in volume as I tried to quicken my pace. My heart pounded in my chest and I could clearly hear the blood pumping through my veins. My legs and lungs burned, but I knew I had to get away.

Suddenly, something grabbed my upper arms and yanked me backwards. My mouth opened to scream, but nothing came out. I was about to hit the ground, so I braced myself for the impact… but I never hit the ground…

Terror coursed through my body as I jolted upright. My chest was rising and falling at an unnaturally fast pace and sweat dripped down my back. Looking around, I saw the dying embers of the fire and the dwarves sleeping, safe and sound. I took deep breaths to slow my heart rate. After one more, big gulp of air, I noticed the profile of Thorin Oakenshield. He was sitting on a rock across camp looking at the roads that lie ahead. Dark hair cascaded down his shoulders and back. The hard line of his jaw and the sharpness of his nose made him truly look like a worthy king. One hand gripped the handle of his sword in case of an unexpected encounter. I was able to tell from his strong hands that underneath all of his furs, he had muscles made of iron. I also thought that his dark blue tunic emphasized the blue in his eyes perfectly. My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar whisper.

"Ilana? Is that you?" I involuntary jumped, but let no gasps escape from my mouth. I turned my head and saw Fili leaning against a rock. I let out a small sigh of relief as he motioned for me to sit next to him. I tiptoed around a couple dwarves until I reached Fili. I quietly sat down and turned in his direction.

"Why are you still up?" I asked.

"It is my turn to take the watch."

"How long do you watch? The whole night?"

"No, just for an hour. Usually when it's Kili's turn to watch, I stay up with him to keep him company and so he doesn't cause any trouble." Fili smiled as he explained.

"Then why is Thorin awake if you are on watch duty?" I questioned Fili.

"He sleeps light and I think he has a hard time falling asleep. Even though he trusts us to keep guard at night, he can't help but be on the lookout constantly. I try to reassure him to get some sleep, but he ends up staying up most of the night." Fili glanced in Thorin's direction for a second before looking back at me. I noticed that Fili's eyes are blue like Throin's, but his are not as harsh as his uncle's eyes since he hasn't experienced the loss of a home. Fili smirked and I looked away when I realized that I was staring at him. "You like what you see, Ilana?" He grinned as I blushed furiously.

I hid my face from view until I felt the blush fade away. A giggle slipped out and I quickly covered my mouth before I got too loud. Fili studied me with humor in his eyes as he fought back laughter. We both turned our heads away from each other to calm down so we wouldn't wake anyone from sleep.

Bofur was right about Fili and Kili. I'm glad that I can get to know them, Fili especially. He is going to be training with me at night, so I will be spending a significant amount of time him. I might as well warm up to him now where I'm not under the pressure of fighting.

I turned back to Fili and glanced at his sword. "What kinds of weapons do you use? Just a sword?"

"Nope. I usually use two swords in a fight. My duel swords." He pointed to his back where two sheaths intertwined holding deadly swords. "I learned to fight with two swords and Kili learned to use a bow."

"Can I use two swords when I train?" I asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea. It is a very tricky fighting style and I've been training with two swords since I was a child. You would be better off with one sword."

"You're right. I can hardly lift one sword as it is. Imagine carrying two. You must have really powerful arms."

Fili smirked. "Yeah I do." He laughed softly and I joined in as well. When the laughter died, Fili said, "I also have hidden weapons in my boots and arm braces." He took out a dagger out of his brace and a throwing axe out of his boot to show me. My jaw dropped at his skill in the different fighting styles. Fili had cocky smile, "You seem to like my weapon stash. You better close your mouth before the bugs come."

"Well, I've never seen someone with so many weapons…" I answered shyly. "You could be an assassin with those hidden blades."

Fili's mouth slowly twitched into a smirk. "How do you know I'm not planning to kill everyone in this company? I could be an imposter." Fili played with the dagger in his hand.

"You definitely won't kill anyone here because you're Fili, not an imposter, so stop tricking me." I playfully shoved him. He looked at me with mock horror then laughed as he pushed me back.

"Don't mess with this dwarf, Ilana. You've been warned." He joked.

"Well, now I know where all of your secret weapons are. I could easily take them when you get distracted." I crossed my arms over my chest and grinned.

"I'd like to see you try." He snickered. A light blush crept across my face, but right when I was about to look down, a rustling sound was heard. Fili instantly put his dagger hand in a fighting position and put a finger to his lips to silently tell me to stay quiet. He started to get up, but I grabbed his arm to sit back down. I didn't want to be left alone and Fili saw my spooked expression, but his eyes told me to stay here. Slowly, I nodded and hugged my knees to my chest. Fili walked out of sight to figure out what made that noise.

When he came back around the rock, amusement danced on his face. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but he just kept smiling.

"It was an animal. A tiny rabbit was hiding." Fili stated. "I can't believe that I freaked out."

"Every sound is magnified in the night." I told him quietly.

"Yeah, well my shift is almost over, so I'm going to wake up Nori. You should go back to bed, Ilana. We have a long day ahead of us." Fili stood up to get Nori and when he walked back towards his sleeping bag, he noticed that I was still sitting there. "Aren't you going to go to sleep? I mean, you're welcome to sleep next to me anytime." He smirked, but it instantly fell when he saw my expression. Concern spread across his face.

"I don't think I can. I keep having nightmares about the… orcs attacking." I told him hesitantly.

"Do you want me to wake up Bilbo?"

"No! I don't want to worry him. He will be angry at himself that he told me to come on this quest." In truth, I don't even know what to do right now. I want to sleep, but I get so terrified when the nightmares take over my mind. I probably shouldn't wake Bofur up just because I can't sleep. So I made up my decision and stood up from my spot. "I'll just try to fall asleep. I will be fine. Good night, Fili."

Fili put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Good night, Ilana. If you need anything, let me know." I nodded and tiptoed back over to my bag. When Fili settled down to sleep, I waited a few minutes before slipping out further into the forest.

Nerves fluttered in my stomach, but I ignored them by taking slow, deep breaths. Once I was out of earshot, I grabbed a long stick to sword fight with. I was determined to improve fast so that I'm able to defend myself. Maybe my nightmares will cease once I learn how to fight.

I didn't know any fighting stances, so I swung the stick around to get used to the length. After twenty minutes, my arms got tired and I finally felt my eyes drooping. My little training session calmed my body and when I snuck back to camp, I instantly fell asleep without any nightmares.

"Ilana, wake up. Ilana, we have to go." Someone was shaking me awake, but I couldn't comprehend what they were saying. My eyes slowly opened and I rubbed them to clear my vision. I focused on the smiling face of Bofur. "Here, I will help you pack up. We are leaving in a couple minutes."

Bofur held out a hand and I took it as he pulled me up to stand. Most of the dwarves were mounting their ponies, all ready to go. I packed up my sleeping bag and tied it to my pony. As I attempted to climb onto my pony, my foot kept getting caught in the stirrups and I huffed in annoyance. Why did I have to be so short?

Suddenly, Bofur came to the rescue. He picked me up and swung me on the pony. "There you go. Now you're all set to take on the world." Bofur patted my horse's neck and gave me his biggest smile.

"Thanks, Bofur! What would I do without you?" I smiled down at him.

"Well, you would still be struggling to get on your pony, lassie." We burst out laughing, but it was soon cut short.

"Time to go! We are not stopping until we cover a decent amount of land." Thorin shouted and the line of ponies started to walk at a fast pace. Bofur ran up to his pony and jumped on to catch up to the group.

Once we rode deeper into the forest, the trees got taller and more massive. The leaves were a darker shed of green which glistened in the sunlight. Birds chirped all around, flying from one tree to the next. The smell of earth hit my nose stronger as the forest grew thicker. A nearby stream bubbled as if it were laughing in excitement. Flowers bloomed around the trail and their sweet smell filled the morning air, I fought back the urge to drop down and pick the exotic flowers. I have never seen such beautiful scenery outside of Hobbiton.

"What are you lookin' at?" Fili's voice broke my thoughts.

"The nature. I've never seen flowers like these ones. It's so beautiful out here."

"Yeah, it is. There are plenty of other places good for sightseeing on this journey. You will be blown away."

I smiled, "I can't-"

"Wait until you see the Lonely Mountain. I heard it's seen from far away and it stands alone without any other mountains." Kili interrupted as he moved his pony next to mine, wedging me in between him and Fili.

"You haven't seen it yourself?" I asked the brothers curiously.

"No, it was taken over before we were born." Fili answered sadly.

"But no worries, we will reclaim Erebor on this adventure." Kili said proudly. He looked over at me and his eyes fell to my arm. "What happened to your arm? It's all scraped. Did Thorin do that when he fought with you?"

Fili tried to look over, but my hand covered up the wound and I responded, "It's nothing. It wasn't anyone's fault." Fili had a suspicious look in his eyes, but I ignored it.

Kili shrugged and looked to the front. He put a hand on his stomach and groaned. "I am so hungry. When do we get to eat breakfast?"

"Stop complaining, Kili. It makes it worse. I'm sure we will stop soon enough." Fili told his brother.

"But Thorin never gets hungry; he's used to traveling with little food. It will be _ages_ before we eat." Kili protested. "Maybe if we send Throin's mind pictures of food, he will get hungry." Kili's face brightened at the thought. "Fili, Ilana, close your eyes and concentrate on sending pictures with your mind powers. Three is better than one."

"Um, Kili, that's impossible." I stated.

"Yeah, I know. Gotta have a little fun while we sit on these ponies." Kili grinned. I started to laugh and Kili asked, "What's so funny, Miss Ilana?"

"I was thinking about what would happen if we could send everyone pictures of food. We would all go mad!" I continued to laugh and Fili and Kili joined in with me. Way up ahead in the front of the line, Thorin turned around to see where the laughter was happening. Kili immediately stopped laughing and straightened up, trying to look mature. Fili and I saw this and burst out laughing again at how ridiculous Kili was acting. Kili's mouth twitched and he began laughing since he couldn't hold it back any longer. Thorin smirked and turned around to face forward.

Fili reached behind me to playfully slap Kili in the head. "Way to impress uncle with your majestic attitude." Fili remarked sarcastically, but Kili rolled his eyes and blushed.

I covered my mouth to hide my laugh as I watched them joke around. They were the funniest pair I have ever encountered. I wondered how close they are to Thorin since they are related. Kili seems to appreciate Thorin's opinion and it's funny how Fili notices his attempts at showing off when Thorin is looking.

We rode on for another hour before Thorin stopped the group. "We are going to eat a quick breakfast and move on out again. Bombur, prepare the meal. Oin and Gloin, get a fire started. Fili and Kili, I need you to tie up the ponies." Thorin called loudly.

"Ilana, do you want to help us with the ponies?" Kili asked.

"Yeah! I would love to, but… I can't get off my pony…" My voice trailed off as I finished my sentence.

"I will help you down." Kili came over to the side of the horse and held his hands out to catch me. "Just bring your other leg over and I will set you on the ground."

I slipped my leg out of the stirrup and twisted it to the side where Kili was standing. He grabbed my waist as I slid down.

"See? That wasn't so bad, but I would be willing to help you again whenever you want." Kili grinned and Fili came over and shoved him. They laughed and kept on pushing each other around.

"Um… shouldn't we tie the ponies?" I questioned.

"Yeah, we should." Fili responded. Fili and Kili stopped playing around and grabbed the ponies' reins to tie to a post. I took my pony's reins and hooked her up by the fence.

Once we finished, I sat down on a log to wait for food. Fili and Kili joined me as plates of eggs were brought out to everyone. Kili inhaled his food down in minutes, mumbling at how delicious it was. I took a bite and found that it really was tasty. Everyone finished their food and we sadly had to pack up and go again.

We traveled through the forest for a couple of hours, and I started to feel pain in my thighs and my bottom. Now I'm going to internally cry every time I get on and off my pony. We skipped lunch to cover more ground, so when we finally stopped for dinner, everyone was grumpy from hunger. I sat down on the ground next to Bilbo.

"Hi, Bilbo. How are you doing?" I greeted.

"I'm alright. The journey isn't that bad. How are you? I hardly talked to you yesterday and today." Bilbo asked with concern in his voice.

"I'm fine. I'm having a lot of fun with the dwarves. No, they are not causing any trouble." I said after I saw Bilbo's face.

"Well that's good, Ilana. I'm happy if you're happy. Ah! Here's dinner." We ate our food in silence and he stood up to wash his plate once he finished.

Fili walked over to me and asked, "Are you ready to spar? I have some new techniques that will help you in battle."

"Can we wait until tomorrow night? I'm extremely sore from riding all day. I don't think I can put effort into the training." I saw Fili's expression change from eagerness to acceptance.

"Okay. I understand completely. A day of rest will help you recover. We just have to train harder tomorrow. Deal?" He held out his hand and I shook it.

"Deal."

Fili nodded and walked away to sit by Kili. I pulled out my sleeping bag and rolled it out on the ground. I sat down on the blankets and took out my journal. I wrote about the scenery that I encountered and I drew a picture of the flowers on the trail.

The dwarves set up their blankets as the night grew darker. Bofur and Bilbo laid their sleeping bags next to me and Fili and Kili set theirs near mine within earshot. Fili and Kili were talking quietly sitting on their beds and Bofur and Bilbo got under their blankets, ready to sleep. I kept on writing about our adventure when I saw a pair of boots walk right up to me. My eyes moved up slowly until they stopped on the confused look in Thorin's eyes. I gulped, hoping I didn't upset him.

"Why didn't you train tonight yet?" Thorin asked roughly. Uh oh. I'm going to be in deep trouble now…

**Here's another chapter! I bet you loved the cliff hanger! If you want to find out what happens next, keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter. I am so happy with all of my story followers. Thanks for all of your support! I hope you guys all have a great week!**


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